Prophecy 8: Jeremiah 31:15

Daily Thoughts – December 11^th
 

Prophecy 8: Jeremiah 31:15

"This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because her children are no more."
- Jeremiah 31:15

Jeremiah 31:15 and cross references

A prophecy of great mourning and lamentation. We are frequently hearing in the news the terrible tragedies of children being kidnapped, trafficked, abused, killed, or aborted.  When the life of a child is taken or is in jeopardy, there are commonly feelings of anger and often times a diminishing faith in God. I know, it raises anger in me even when I have no personal attachment to the affected families, how much more does it impact the parents and direct family members? 

If you have been in this same state of anguish, then you know exactly how the men and women of Israel were feeling in the mid 6th century B.C. Rachel was the wife of Jacob. They had two children together - Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was believed to be killed when actually was sold into slavery by his brothers. Jacob spent years in grieving and mourning, refusing to be comforted over the apparent loss of his beloved Joseph. Rachel died in Bethlehem after the birth of her 2nd son, whom she named Ben-Oni (son of my sorrow). Jacob then changed his name to Benjamin (son of my right hand).

In Ramah (a biblical city outside of Jerusalem), there was much mourning during the reign of David. The Amalekites had taken the wives and children of David and his men. In 1 Samuel 30:3-4 we hear of "...David and his men weeping until they had no strength left to weep." His men threatened to stone him over the loss of their sons and daughters, blaming David and God for not protecting them. David sought God's counsel and with His approval pursued and destroyed the Amalekite army, retrieving all of the women and children who had been captured.

So when Jeremiah references the great mourning and weeping of Ramah and Rachel in this prophecy, he is foretelling of (Matthew 2:16-18) King Herod's annihilation of all the male children under two in Bethlehem after the birth of the Messiah. In Jeremiah 31:16-17 though Jeremiah gives the comfort of knowing that like in Ramah and with Joseph, the children will return one day to their own land. The children referenced in these verses refer to the Israel nation of course, not the reincarnation of the murdered children.

Many times there are atrocities that happen in this life. Things that make our stomachs turn, and anger well up inside of us. We must think back though on the words of our Lord, "your children will return to their own land." God has these children in the palm of His hand and is sovereign in all things. He will in due time bring all of us back together once again in His land with rejoicing, thanks to His Son who was killed unjustly for our transgressions.

- Rich

© Sondove Enterprises, 2019
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Remembering Sharon Tiede

" ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelations 21:4

 

We look upon the face of those we love and cherish the memories that have forever been engrained in our hearts and soul.  The love of the Father envelops the gentle weeping and mourning of his children during these delicate times, and we can only look to Him for solace and comfort, for those around us are likewise mourning and in pain.  For you see, regardless of how much you prepare yourself, you won’t be completely ready when the day does arrive.  Gentle words and a warm embrace will always land with love and grace. 

Thank you all for the wonderful words of encouragement and love this week as we mourn the passing of my wife’s mother –Sharon Lee Tiede.  At times like this it’s amazing how strong and resilient the human character is.  Sharon has faced health struggles for many years, which took a serious toll on her body.  She faced each day though with a renewed spirit in the Lord, and could many days be seen at her breakfast table reading from the word.  Her battle in this life came to an end, but not before she left a significant impact on the many people around her.  We find comfort in knowing that she now sits, free of pain, at the breakfast table with her Savior, Jesus Christ, sharing a cup of coffee and living in His word.

I ask each of you to join me in prayer today for my wife and family as we prepare for the funeral and Mom’s final peace.  Pray for our hearts to be comforted, and our minds to be filled with peace and love, throughout this day and those to come.  We rest upon the strength provided by our Heavenly Father and those He has placed around us at this time of mourning.  Thank you all for providing your support during this time.

 


Feel free to share this with your email and Facebook friends as you feel led by the Lord.  Today, my family needs all of your prayers of comfort and grace

The Beatitudes: Blessed are the Mourners

"Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. " - Matthew 5:4

Losing someone is difficult for all of us. There is no easy way to transition from a moment when you are embracing a loved one to the moment of saying goodbye for the very last time. With the death of a loved one, there is an emptiness that consumes those left behind as they struggle with the emotions that have been nurtured, protected and strengthened over years and even lifetimes in many cases. Relationships are built on trust, love and forgiveness. I have known individuals who have lost a loved one and had unfinished issues with them. The inability to forgive or receive forgiveness has haunted them for years after the death. Likewise, there are those who did not have the last opportunity to share their feelings of love with the deceased, leaving them feeling guilty and no means of escape.

We learn from these experiences not to leave unfinished business or empty words with those we love. But, how do we resolve the past events? If you have ever been to a wake or a funeral you know how difficult it is to comfort those in mourning. There is a song by Casting Crowns titled, "Love them Like Jesus", which discusses the difficulties of bringing comfort to our fellow brothers and sisters in times of mourning; but it also reminds us that God is the ultimate provider of comfort in all circumstances. While being 100% God and full of the sovereignty and wisdom of God; Jesus was also 100% human with the complexities of emotions and feelings, the same as you and I.

If you recall, even Jesus wept. He wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, and over Jerusalem; as even He mourned their fate and their lost direction in life. His weeping was out of love for the children of Israel. Knowing that He would be with them only a few more days before the crucifixion and their faith and understanding were still lacking. We are asked to stay by their side and love them like Jesus would love them. Empathy, love and just a mere presence is often times the right anecdote. Many times the best thing for us to do is to hold someone's hand and cry with them.

We are reminded by this verse in the 5th book of Matthew that those who mourned will be comforted by God the Father in a way that man cannot. Even in those circumstances when we are angry at God because we wanted His intercession and miracle, His love doesn't change. Three words put together make an incredible impact when understood: God Loves You. It is not to be flippant or taken lightly. You see God's love is the only true constant. There are no requirements, conditions or circumstances that cause His love to increase or decrease. By first accepting this, we then need to understand that His love for you is exactly as the love He has for those who are mourning, and the same as the love He has for the deceased. Comfort is provided to those who are mourning by the loving embrace from the only true source of unconditional love - God the Father.

When Tragedy Strikes

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

“'Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted'” – Matthew 5:4

Death has a way of raising the thoughts of our own spiritual awareness and questioning our readiness should the good Lord call us home. It causes many to ask "Why would God let this happen?" and others to ask, “Am I doing all that I can do?” In events of death there are always more questions than answers and seldom easy answers to the questions on our minds. It is not for us to know the ways of the Lord but to be consistently aware that the days of your life are numbered, just as are the hairs on your head.

  Imagine if you could see your obituary in the paper the day after your passing. What story would it tell? Is it a life story that you would be proud to hold up in front of the Lord, or is it one that you would be proud of in front of your buddies down at the pub. We are not granted access to heaven based on the good works that will be captured on our obituary, no it is strictly by the grace and through the blood of Jesus Christ. Having said this though, our works on earth are used to further expand the Kingdom of God and open the doors for others to discover the salvation that waits for them at the foot of the cross. Our children are watching, our friends are watching, our co-workers are watching and our family is watching.

  If tomorrow, there were a tragic accident and my life were required, I know without a doubt that I will walk with Jesus Christ from that moment forward. His blood has made that possible. But, from that moment on I have zero capability to help my children, their children, my friends or family and others discover the amazing love of God. I want my obituary to clearly state that I was a servant of God in this world. Don't you?

  Pray for the families mourning the loss of loved ones, needing to be comforted by the Holy Spirit. Pray that their spiritual walk is not hindered by the loss, but strengthened and renewed by the opportunity to share of their loved ones life story.  We are all going to struggle with the death of a loved one at some point in our life and we need to be able to praise God through those difficult moments just as much as we praise Him through the good.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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The Opening Act

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

 

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” – 1 John 5:11-12

The monitors were beeping and people were running frantically to and fro.  Nurses were rushing into the room, and with everything they knew how to do tried to control the rapidly decreasing heart rate.  For weeks she had been in a coma, unresponsive to external stimulus; but her vital statistics had remained constant and above normal.  For no apparent reason her blood pressure spiked on this particular morning and her heart rate dropped dramatically.  They pulled the curtains around the patient bed and asked that the family and friends step into the hall.  The little boy in the corner chair never left though.  He sat quietly, hugging his knees that were bent up to his chest and watched the doctors and nurses attempt numerous things to revive the patient.  The people in the hall were crying uncontrollably; his Daddy was talking with a doctor in the hallway when the boy looked over at the bed and saw a great light rising from the bed.  Then the beeping went to a solid tone, the monitor had a straight line across it. “Bye Mommy, tell Grandpa I said Hello.  I love you”, the little boy said to the light as it disappeared beyond the ceiling tiles in the room.  Just then his Dad burst through the doors and bent down over the lifeless body.  “No, not yet; our life has just begun.” and he was overcome with emotion and wept.  The boy stepped from his chair and grabbed his Daddy’s hand and whispered in his ear, “Daddy, I watched her go to heaven, she gets to see Grandpa and live with Jesus from now on.  We’ll see her again, don’t worry.”

We are all destined for a single death.  There is no manner by which it can be avoided.  This doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye or to help with the human element of emotion that accompanies these events in life.  For those who are followers of Jesus Christ and have given their lives to Him as their Savior and Lord, this event in life is truly just the beginning.  Eternity exists as an infinite time and space beyond the death of our flesh covered body.  Each and every one of you are destined to spend eternity in one of two places: Heaven or Hell.  There are no other choices.  Those who have chosen to deny the existence of one, must also deny the existence of the other, and in doing so, accept their eternal state in Hell when death falls upon them.

Life on this earth and in this flesh covering is fleeting.  Seventy, eighty perhaps ninety or one hundred years walking here amongst your friends and family is but a spec on the timeline of eternity.  Forever is forever and has no end.  Look to the heavens at night and see the stars.  Realize that beyond our galaxy of stars (Milky Way) there are hundreds of other galaxies far beyond our ability to scientifically even see with the most advanced equipment.  So if there were a single straight line that went from the spot you are standing into the depths of space beyond the galaxies, your time on this earth is smaller than a grain of sand on the ground you stand upon.  Paul said it in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Nothing could be more true than this. 

Death is a tragic event for those of us remaining behind because the memories, the love, and the fears rush in with an emotional tidal wave.  Overcoming this mourning and sorrow can only be achieved by the realization that our loved ones are walking with Jesus, the Son of God.  Hold on to the memories and laughter, but come to peace with the understanding that for them to die is gain, and one day, upon the Lord’s timing, you will be with them forever and forever, never to die again.  Be blessed my friends.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com